I know it’s silly to think about these things in the heat of a pennant race. And yet … Daniel Murphy will be considered a rookie next year as long if he can avoid getting 31 at bats over the Mets last 9 games.
If I understand the rules correctly, a player is a rookie next year if he enters it without having done racked up any of the following:
- 45 days on an MLB roster, NOT INCLUDING SEPTEMBER. So Murph, who was called up on August 2, is cool.
- 50 innings pitched. With the Mets’ bullpen desperation this could be an issue, but since Manuel rarely uses a reliever for more than one batter at a time, Murph would need like 150 appearances to have a problem here, so he looks pretty safe.
- 130 at bats. Here’s the problem. Murph has 99. The next 4 announced opposing pitchers are all righties. In any event, Murph has been hitting lefties so well that he might get a start even if a lefty is pitching. Fortunately for Murph (in this context) Manuel doesn’t want to play Murph or Evans in right, so if Manuel wants to play Evans against a lefty (and assuming he doesn’t want to bench Delgado right now), Murph would sit. Murph usually bats second, which will usually give him 4 or 5 plate appearances per game.
I wonder if the Mets clinch the division (or even just a playoff spot) if Manuel would let this consideration factor into his decisions of whom to start the last game or two. Manuel would presumably have bigger considerations, like giving regular days off. (With the division clinched, would he let Murph play 3rd? Right?)
Anyway, the solution is simple. Just walk, baby.
Then you can take the World Series MVP this year and the Rookie of the Year next year. Wouldn’t that be cool.
